Posts by compound complex

5

My Best and Oldest friend has died. He brought me in to the (not) Truth

by Terry in

in my book, i wept by the rivers of babylon, i described the process of having a friend, johnny santa cruz, use our friendship as a platform for converting me to a jehovah's witness.. that friendship cost me decades of my life in bondage to a cult.. the friendship was real and johnny and i bonded for life.

but, the religion eventually turned him into a stone silence.

now he is dead and the imaginary reunion and meeting of the minds is no longer a possibility.. this makes his passing a double tragedy.. his memories were my memories.

compound complex

Dear Terry:

Once again, I send you my heartfelt condolences as I remember a book that has given a sense of purpose to my life: Necessary Losses: The Loves, Illusions, Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow, by Judith Viorst.

My life has been one of impossible expectations, based on my former beliefs, my longing for true love, my illusory world of SF fantasy. It's all mixed up together in my heart and mind.

Ms. Viorst's soothing but reality-grounded words have helped me to see that I demanded -- albeit passively -- of others what they were incapable of giving. I, too, have had to admit to my own inability to be the all and everything I wished from others. We are friends only in spots, the author avers.

What you have written so resonates with me as I continue in my own life's journey, scarred but resolute.

Be well, mon ami.

CoCo

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/163499/necessary-losses

102

More on Punctuation

by compound complex in

jd souther ... is most widely known for his part in writing somber, elegiac songs that the eagles and linda ronstadt made famous, such as "new kid in town," heartache tonight," and "faithless love.

" the new yorker, february 13 & 20, 2012, troubadour, page 36.. .

"i've never made a record in new york, start to finish," he went on.

compound complex

Correction, from the thread, "Did You Participate in a Drama?":

I participated when a Bethelite, late-'60s, early-'70s.

Profuse apologies for having omitted hyphens in original. Sometimes I'm just not thinking.
CC

44

My "best" friend (active JW) has just died

by Terry in

jw
friends

johnny santa cruz and i met around 1959 at a movie theater in fort worth, texas.. the purpose of that meeting was to create a fanclub for horror movie director william castle.

a week or so later, johnny stopped me as i was walking home from elementary school.. "hey--i think i know you.

weren't you at the william castle fanclub thing?".

compound complex

I've "known" Johnny for years, Terry, through your bringing him to life for us.

I'm so very sorry; we were never supposed to grow old and die . . .

CoCo

102

More on Punctuation

by compound complex in

jd souther ... is most widely known for his part in writing somber, elegiac songs that the eagles and linda ronstadt made famous, such as "new kid in town," heartache tonight," and "faithless love.

" the new yorker, february 13 & 20, 2012, troubadour, page 36.. .

"i've never made a record in new york, start to finish," he went on.

compound complex

Hyphens and apostrophes:

"Mary is now in her mid-60s and fondly remembers her happy youth in the '50s."

"John is a well-known writer in his community."

However: "John is a writer and well known in his community."

"Greg was a high-risk high school student in the 1970s."

"The inspector made on-site visits to the new housing development."

"My three brothers-in-law's jointly owned house is spectacular."

The personal pronouns, yours, his, hers, ours, its, theirs, and whose, do not require an apostrophe; it's, a contraction, means "it is" and who's, likewise, a contraction, means "who is."

"The toys in the box belong to my brother's friend's cousin." [one brother, one friend]

"The toys in the box belong to my brothers' friends' cousin." [more than one brother, more than one friend; If there's some ambiguity as to who's who, I'll let you, the reader, sort that out! Oh, well, here I go: My brothers John and Fred have friends named Eric and Bob, whose cousin Gary owns the toys in the box.]

Enuf!

CoCo

57

Did you participate in a Drama?

by Hecce in

i am bringing this up because even it was a lot of work, for the majority of the friends this was a rewarding experience.

camaraderie, joking, costumes, props and when the time came the celebrity status of being in the drama.. back in the 50s and 60s, conventions could be as long as 8 days and from about 1966 the dramas became an integral part of the program.

we had one per day and the brothers looked forward to their presentation.

compound complex

I participated when a Bethelite, late '60s, early '70s.

I recall the sister, a table mate, who portrayed Ruth and all the in-house derision that followed upon the heels of the performance, particularly the howling and emoting during the scene where Naomi pleads with her daughters'-in-law to go their separate ways. Of course, it was canned dialogue. But the gesticulating and chewing of scenery was the actresses' own.

Friends and I had parts where we played teenage boys. I think we were horny, something to do locker room escapades and the removal of apparel. The only line I remember was one guy saying he didn't think he was a "monster for looks." This was after the major purge over sexually unacceptable behaviors.

Then there was the graphic presentation of Zimri and Cozbi getting run through by, oh, I forget who -- some righteous dude eaten up by zeal for Jah. The screaming of the victims was horrible, but it's in the Bible so it's acceptable.

I'm basically a prude, and it made me cringe, but Bethelites don't say "no" to privileges. Way, way too much fixation with sex . . .

CC

26

Hashtag "BESTLIFEEVER!!"

by Lostwun in

is it just me or does it grind your gears when you see #bestlifeever hashtag after every damn jw post on fb and instagram?.

i rarely get on instagram anymore because i dont want to deal with the jw propaganda but i swear sometimes i just want to comment on one of those pics 'jw life is the worst life ever wake up already'.

does anyone else know what i'm talking about?

compound complex

"Allowing" our eldest to stop going to meetings as a teen was the best decision we ever made. Result? True love, affection, obedience was regularly shown towards the otherwise fanatical JW parents. Thirty years later, this adult offspring is kind, thoughtful, and non-judgmental.

Would you expect the above from an atheist? One should wish such a genuinely good, authentic personality from one's JW children. Sadly, for us disenfranchised Witnesses, the adult JW children's so-called new personality (along the lines of JW indoctrination) is barely tolerant (if at all) towards their inactive parents. We love all our children dearly but, surely, cannot reason with the in-cult ones. This is not to say that all young JWs I know are unreasoning.

Such unbearable sadness.

Trying to make sense of it all . . .

CoCo

Oh, yeah . . . I hate those canned presentations of the best life ever.

59

Sweet 16 - Happy Birthday to Us !

by Simon in

it's the forum's 16th birthday today!.

amazing that not only have we lasted so long but we're still thriving and growing.. thanks to all the people and often colorful characters who've contributed to the site over the years.

some are still here with us, some have since moved on, but all have touched each others lives in some way along our different journeys.. .

compound complex

Thank you, Simon and Angharad, and all the moderators! Off and on here (but mostly on) for some nine or ten years, I have grown and mellowed. You have contributed to my new sense of purpose and, in good measure, happiness.

This site has been a sight for sore eyes. I could cite examples, but I digress . . .

Love and best wishes,

CoCo

18

New Memorial Songs Were Very Good, IMO

by RubaDub in

i guess we can agree to differ, but i personally found the new memorial songs (147, 149) to be very good, at least from a musical perspective.

.

rub a dub .

compound complex

I, a musician, was pleasantly surprised. The orchestration was impressive. It was necessary, of course, to have those handouts.

CC

24

Did You Get Invited to the Memorial?

by Ding in

i'm just wondering if jws keep inviting you back or if they've given up on you.. they haven't invited me for years..

compound complex

I went to two back-to-back Memorials. A sister whom I knew (but didn't recognize me) handed me an invitation to the special talk. I said, "Hi, sister X," and she did a double take. I do not look like a JW.

It was good seeing old friends again.

CC

24

Did You Get Invited to the Memorial?

by Ding in

i'm just wondering if jws keep inviting you back or if they've given up on you.. they haven't invited me for years..

compound complex

YES.

Many JWs on Facebook responded to my words of thanks and love for their kindness to me over the years. I live a long ways from the KH and was assured I would get there tonight if I had no transportation.

I will be attending two Memorials because I need to see friends and family before I die. I say that in all sincerity, without wishing to sound maudlin. These people have meant the world to me, going back as far back as 50 years. If they were in trouble because of their faith -- the one that I have abandoned -- I would be there for them.

Despite the butterflies in my stomach, I am hoping that, by this evening, the winged creatures will all be flying in formation.

Best regards, whatever you end up doing.

CoCo